1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bumper mounting structure, such as, for example, an automobile.
2. Description of Related Art
As shown in FIG. 5, a rear bumper 1 has been conventionally mounted on an automobile body such that a weld nut 5 is positioned on a rear panel of the automobile body. The weld nut 5 is positioned in the center portion in the lateral direction of the vehicle of the rear panel 4, and the rear bumper 1 is firmly fixed thereonto by a bolt 6. The automobile body may also include an upper panel member 10, and a weather strip 7 and striker 8 for sealing and locking respectively, a trunk or rear door of the vehicle. The automobile body may further include a striker bracket 9 for mounting the striker 8.
Although in the conventional bumper mounting structure the rear bumper has been positioned on the rear panel of an automobile body in the longitudinal direction of the rear bumper and in the vertical direction thereof by a rear bumper fastening hole, there is a need to adjust the position of the fastening hole before fastening the rear bumper. This need to adjust the position of the fastening hole makes improvements in working efficiency difficult. The fastening hole adjustment would be easy if the diameter of the fastening hole is enlarged, but such enlargement makes it difficult to stabilize the position of the rear bumper with respect to the automobile body.
Further, when an impact is made to the rear bumper, the impact force directly reaches the rear panel 4. Accordingly, the conventional bumper mounting structure is such that a relatively small impact force easily deforms the automobile body.
The present invention has been developed in consideration of these circumstances and to solve the above problems. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bumper mounting structure in which a bumper is easily attached to an automobile body. It is another object of the present invention to provide a bumper mounting structure in which an impact force that can deform a bumper does not affect the automobile body.
The bumper mounting structure according to the present invention has been developed to solve these problems. The bumper mounting structure for fixing a bumper to a front or rear of an automobile body includes a bumper guide, disposed at a suitable location on the automobile body, and is preferably substantially at a center portion in a lateral direction of the automobile body, for mounting the bumper; and an engagement portion, disposed at a suitable location on the bumper, for engaging the bumper guide. The suitable location on the automobile body may be any desired location. The suitable location on the bumper may be an location corresponding to that of the suitable location on the automobile body and preferably is substantially at a center portion in a longitudinal direction.
In one aspect of the present invention, the engagement portion to be engaged with the bumper guide of the bumper includes an insertion portion. A lateral guiding portion and a vertical guiding portion for cooperation with the insertion portion are provided on the bumper guide. The bumper mounting structure of the present invention further includes guiding portions provided at both corners of a front end of the insertion portion. The bumper mounting structure further includes a pair of flange portions provided on the bumper guide so as to face each other, and a pair of lateral walls provided on the insertion portion so as to be engaged with the pair of flange portions, respectively. The engagement portion to be engaged with the bumper guide includes an insertion portion, and the bumper guide is provided with a flat upper surface on which the insertion portion is placed. The bumper mounting structure further includes a cutout, provided at a base of the insertion portion of the bumper, so that clearance in the forward and rearward directions of the vehicle is provided between the bumper guide and the bumper when the bumper is attached to an automobile body.
In another aspect of the present invention, a bumper mounting structure configured to fix a bumper to a front or rear of an automobile body is provided, including a bumper guide that mounts a bumper, the bumper guide being provided substantially at a center portion in a lateral direction of the automobile body, and an engagement portion that engages the bumper guide, the engagement portion being provided substantially at a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the bumper. The bumper guide may further be mounted on the automobile body substantially at the center portion in the lateral direction of the automobile body and the engagement portion may be provided on the bumper substantially at a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the bumper.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the engagement portion to be engaged with the bumper guide includes an insertion portion, and the bumper guide is provided with a lateral guiding portion and a vertical guiding portion for receiving the insertion portion. The insertion portion may further include guiding portions provided at corners of a front end of the insertion portion. The guiding portions provided at the corners of the front end of the insertion portion may further include chamfered edges.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the bumper mounting structure further includes a pair of flange portions provided on the bumper guide so as to face each other, and a pair of lateral walls provided on the insertion portion so as to be engaged with the pair of flange portions. The bumper guide may further include a flat upper surface on which the insertion portion is placed.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the bumper mounting structure may further include a cutout provided at a base of the insertion portion, whereby clearance in a vehicle forward and rearward direction is provided between the bumper guide and the bumper when the bumper is attached to an automobile body. The bumper guide may further include a longitudinal wall surface that extends from and forms an angle with the flat upper surface, and a groove provided in the bumper guide that extends from the upper surface to the longitudinal wall surface and increases the rigidity of the bumper guide.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a bumper guide for mounting a bumper on an automobile body including a lateral guiding portion, and a vertical guiding portion, wherein the bumper guide is configured to be provided at a suitable location on an automobile body and to engage an engagement portion provided at a suitable location on a bumper. The bumper guide may be provided at a substantially center portion in a lateral direction of the automobile body.
A further aspect of the present invention provides an engagement portion for mounting a bumper on an automobile body including an insertion portion, the insertion portion including a pair of lateral walls and a chamfered guiding portion provided on each lateral wall at a front end of the insertion portion, wherein the engagement portion is configured to be provided at a suitable location on a bumper to engage a bumper guide provided at a suitable location on an automobile body. The engagement portion may be provided at a substantially center portion in a longitudinal direction of the bumper.